New Orleans Saints Star Running Back Pleads No Contest to Misdemeanor

The New Orleans Saints finally have a little bit more clarity on the status of their most accomplished player. Five-time Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara agreed to plead no contest to a misdemeanor charge of breach of peace for his involvement in a violent incident at a Las Vegas nightclub in February of 2022.

#BREAKING: New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara agrees to plead no content to misdemeanor charge of breach of peace for Las Vegas nightclub beating. He will have to do community service and pay $100K to victim for medical bills, per @kyleJpaine. https://t.co/amO1tjFexR
— David Charns (@davidcharns) July 11, 2023

Kamara and associates were caught on camera beating and kicking a man at the Cromwell Casino. By accepting the lesser charge, Kamara will avoid jail time by performing community service and paying $100K to the victim for medical bills.

The relatively mild conclusion to this lingering issue should come as a relief to the Saints, but Kamara isn't completely out of the woods yet. The NFL personal conduct policy has wide and sweeping powers, and Kamara could still see a suspension coming his way. Luckily for him, the protracted nature of the legal process has likely diminished the league's ire. The modest charge should mean the NFL feels it avoided embarrassment, and Kamara could end up missing just a game or two.

With 42.6 receiving yards per game and 6.8 yards per target over his six-year career, Kamara remains one of league's elite receivers out of the backfield and should be a huge focus of a revamped Saints passing attack in 2023. With newly acquired quarterback Derek Carr piloting the offense, Kamara should see increased goal-line opportunities after posting a career-low four touchdowns in 2022, assuming he doesn't add to his troubles.